Grupo Fantasma

Description

Grupo Fantasma has been praised as one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre and continues to create one of the most unique musical voices to come out of the United States in the 21st century. In 2011, they garnered further acclaim by winning a GRAMMY Award (their second such nomination) for their self-produced El Existential on Nat Geo Music which the Wall Street Journal called ‘Latin music both new and traditional… vibrant fusions that transcend easy classification.’ The nine-piece collective was formed in 2000 in Austin, Texas. The band’s incendiary live show, declared by NPR as ‘seamless whenever and wherever they’re on stage’ has brought the band to major festivals and venues internationally including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Kennedy Center, London’s O2 Arena, Montreal Jazz Festival, as well as two tours to Kuwait and Iraq to entertain US troops and recently Pakistan and Qatar. In addition, they have served as backing band for and collaborated on several occasions with Prince, Maceo Parker, GZA of the Wu–Tang Clan, Spoon, Los Lobos, and many others. Their diverse spectrum of devoted fans speaks to the ensemble’s universal appeal beyond just Latin or world music.